Chicken Fricassee Abruzzi Style… with sautéed chicken thighs cooked until golden and crispy, mixed into the most delicious garlic, chicken stock and white wine sauce with tomatoes, fresh rosemary and hot cherry peppers for a nice kick. A one-pot hearty and comforting meal that's gluten free!
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I’m soo excited to share this Chicken Fricassee recipe with you today!! It is bursting with flavor and the chicken is fall-apart tender.
What is Fricassee?
Chicken Fricassee literally means cut up and fried chicken. Most versions seem to include cream in the sauce but this one is different.
This recipe is a little less traditional than most because the sauce is very light and consists of white wine, the juices from the chicken, and a little chicken stock.
It's considered Abruzzi Style and doesn't include dairy... only rich layers of sautéed cherry tomatoes and hot cherry peppers in white wine and chicken stock with fresh chopped rosemary... all used extensively in Abruzzi cooking.
In case you’re interested…Abruzzo is a region of Italy located in the mountains along the Adriatic region and their cuisine is known for simple but hearty meals.
Although there's some debate ("Abruzzo or Abruzzi?"), the proper name for the region is Abruzzo.
It all sounds good to me! Did I mention I think I might be Italian?
What cut of chicken to use for fricassee?
I used chicken thighs because I wanted to make sure the cook time was even. But you could use a whole chicken cut up if you wanted a combo of white and dark meat. And for this recipe I recommend leaving the skin on to get that really nice, seared crispiness.
You do need to make sure your internal cook temp reaches 165F with a digital meat thermometer on the largest pieces to ensure they are cooked completely.
How to make chicken fricassee
Start by adding salt and pepper to your chicken thighs, then sauté them skin-side down for 7-8 minutes on high heat to get them nice and crispy. I like to use a cast-iron skillet because it adds a really nice sear.
Flip them over and sauté the other side for another 7 minutes (you may need a grease screen cause it gets pretty hot and and the grease can spit out).
Add the halved garlic cloves, flip after two and a half minutes and add the olives, rosemary, peppers and hot cherry peppers.
Stir in the wine and chicken stock. As it bubbles, deglaze the pan by stirring and working the chicken bits that are sticking to the pan into the sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
If the juices in the pan reduce too much, add several tablespoons of chicken stock or wine. Chicken should be very tender and tomato skins should just begin to crack open.
Now it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
You could serve this saucy chicken over some Parmesan Polenta, mashed potatoes, your favorite pasta or keep it low carb with some yummy mashed cauliflower.
Buon appetito!
Chicken Fricassee
Amazing Abruzzi-style chicken fricassee w/garlic, chopped rosemary, Kalamata olives, hot cherry peppers, cherry tomatoes, & white wine.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in, excessive fat trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 large peeled garlic cloves,, halved
- 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 cup white wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 red pepper, membrane and seeds removed, sliced
- 24 kalamata olives
- 3-4 hot cherry peppers, seeds and stems removed, chopped
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a skillet large enough to hold all chicken pieces in one layer without crowding (use two skillets if needed). Turn heat to high and add chicken, skin side down. Cook until well browned, 7-8 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook the other side for 7 minutes. (If too much fat has rendered in the pan, remove some with a spoon. You need about 2-3 tablespoons to be left in the pan.)
- Add the halved garlic cloves, flip after two and a half minutes and add the olives, rosemary, and peppers and cherry peppers.
- Stir in the wine and chicken stock. As it bubbles, deglaze the pan by scraping any loose bits with a wooden spoon.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes and red pepper and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken reaches 165 degrees. If the juices in the pan reduce too much, add 2-3 tablespoons of chicken stock or wine. Chicken should be very tender and tomato skins should begin to crack.
- Transfer to a platter and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1 thigh with peppers and sauceAmount Per Serving Calories 449Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 198mgSodium 459mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 40g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
Samantha
Yum!!
Carol Borchardt
Lovely!! These are all flavors I can really get into!
holly
Thank you Carol! We must have similar taste because I feel the same way!
Ahu
A wonderful combination of flavors - I bet this smells amazing!
holly
Thanks Ahu! It smells wonderful and taste divine!
GlassesShop
Looks so great, thank you for the sharing
holly
Thank you - my pleasure!